Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-09-23

II was new life to me-. it was heart
felt unutterable joy, to read this and
put my cheek against the signature.
to tuck it inside my gown and feel that
l was in possession OF the most
precious treasure the whole world could
produce. the first real long letter from
the man loved.
| went into the dining room. took it
out again. and began kissing each line
in turn, | was SO silly with happiness.
| had got to the middle of the second
page in this fashion when the iron bar
which fastened the shutters fell down
almost without noise. thrust my
letter hastily into my gown, when one
of the shutters slid back and Mr..
Rayner was in the room before could
reach the door. With cry of relief, I
sprung toward him.
"Oh. Mr.. Rayner. how you frightened
me. thought You were burglar"
MY poor dear little girl. l often
come in this way to save kicking my
heels at the door; but l wouldn't have
done it. frightening you out of your
wits, if had known you were in here.
Thought every body would be occupied
with the two invalids. And how arc
you, little woman?"
l was delighted to see him and to
feel there was some one in the house
! could trust. told him at once l had
been compelled to assume some re-
sponsibility and expressed the hope
that he would not be angry when he
heard all had done.
mo, my child. am sure l shall
moi" said he, helping himself to some
cold beef on the sideboard-there was
no regular supper at the Alders. but
there were always meat and biscuit, on
the sideboard after tea for those who
cared for them. "How is Mrs. Ray
ner?"
! told him that she was no better and
no worse, and that she had moved to-
day into the front spare room.
''To-day?"
'.Yes. She was so reluctant to leave
her own room that took the liberty of
telling Sarah l would answer to you for
delaying the change this one day. Was
it too forward of me?" asked timidy
NO." said he. very kindly, drawing
me into a chair beside him at the table;
81 give you full permission to use my
authority in any way you think proper"
THANK you. Mr.. Rayner And, Oh.
l don't know what you will say, but l
made Sarah take Haidec's cot up to my
room! The dressing-room in the left
wing is so very cold. And then sent
for DR.. Lowe. Was that right? had
heard he was the best doctor in Bea-
consburgh."
l asked this rather ncrvously. for I
knew Mr.. Rayner disliked DIR. Lowe.
But he was in too good humor to find
fault with any thing.
''All that you have done is perfectly
right. and always will be, in my eyes;
so you need never fear what | may say
to you. child. Have YOU any more
news? l want to hear all about
Sarah's accident, and whether you
were very much alarmed when YOU
heard about the robbery at Denham
Court"
81 have lot to tell you," l said.
but | won't tell you any of it tonight.
1t is all bad news and ] won't spoil
your first evening Every thing will
come all right now you are back"
MIR. Rayner laughe and seemed
much pleased. We sat chatting until
eleven O'Clock and I grew very sleepy
listening to his adventures in London.
At breakfast next morning the talk
was all about the robbery at Denham
Court Mrs. Rayner said little. and l
only told Mr.. Carruther's story, reserv-
ing the suspicious things l had seen
until could talk to him alone.
was in the school room the next
day when Mr.. Rayner came in and
said he was ready to hear the bad news
had mentioned the night before. He
asked me if Sarah had been annoying
me and told him of her taking the
letter ! had written from the mail bag
and OF her setting the trap for me by
greasing the stairs.
Mr.. Rayner turned quite pale when l
came to my slipping on the stairs and
catching my foot in the string, and he
looked up and out of the window from
under his frowning brows with an ex-
preston of hard fury that made me in
stinctively move away from him on my
chair, 1t was so terrible, so merciless.
1t was with averted head that I whis-
pered all the suspicious things had
seen and heard connecting Sarah and
Tom Parkes with the Denham Court
burglary--my views of Tom carrying
something across the lawn; his return.
ing with Sarah; the fact of two men in
a cart having been seen outside; my
seeing the brown portmanteau inside
the back-door; and lastly my discovery
of the portmanteau in the cellar under
the store-room, and my recognition OF
it and of the bracelet I took out Ct it at
hap-hazard as having both come from
Denham Court
Mr.. Rayner listened with the deepest
interest, but with some i9credulity.
my GEAR cnIro, II IS rnposs1ble-at
least hope from my soul it may turn
out to be so. Poor old Sarah is, I ac-
knowledge, the worst tempered and
most vindictive woman alive. But the
accomplice of thieves! 1 can not be-
lieve it." He got up and walked
about the room, questioned me again
closely, and then renamed for a few
minutes in deep thought. '.She would
never dare! Sarah is afraid of me, and
to bring stolen goods into my house
would be greater liberty than Even an
old servant would take, think"
wondered Mr.. Rayner did not ask
me for the store-room Keys and 90 him.
self to prove at least one part of my
story; but l did not like to suggest it,
half fearing, coward as I was, that he
would ask me to go with him to that
dreadful cellar.
"Don't say word about this to any
one, child" said he, at last. II must
sift the matter to the very bottom. 1t
is possible that they may both have
been cheated by some clever knave into
assisting him innocently. But didn't
you say you saw Tom Parkes carving
what you took for the portmanteau on
Tuesday night?"
"Yes. Mr.. Rayner."
"But the burglary was on Wednes-
day! No. no; you may depend there
will be some explanation of the matter
as soon as Sarah is able to give an ac-
count of herself In the meantime
will make inquiries. and l will set your
mind at rest as soon as possible He
remained silent again for while, then
shook his head. as if to dismiss all dis
agreeable thoughts, and said, in his
usual bright tone: ''And now I have
little bit of news for you. which hope
you will think neither bad nor miscra-
BILE. How would You like to leave the
Alders for a short time. and spend
couple OF weeks on the borders of the